Why Meghan Markle Was Advised Against Returning To UK With Prince Harry

Meghan Markle will remain in California while her husband Prince Harry flies back to the U.K. to attend Prince Philip's funeral due to her pregnancy, a report says.

Buckingham Palace confirmed that Prince Harry will be coming to the funeral of his grandfather, who died Friday at age 99, but the Duchess of Sussex will not be joining him. An unnamed insider told Us Weekly that Markle's doctor has advised her not to take the trip with her husband as she is heavily pregnant with their second child.

"Meghan will be staying in California. She can’t go on doctor’s orders," the source told the outlet. "She is too far along to fly and it’s recommended she rest in the final months."

Prince Harry and Markle are being "extra careful" when it comes to the latter's health after she suffered a miscarriage last year, the report said.

"They’re taking this precaution seriously because she miscarried before," the insider added. "Doctors don’t think the stress of it all is worth her risking losing another baby."

During their interview with Oprah Winfrey in March, Markle and Prince Harry revealed that they are expecting a baby girl this time and that the duchess' due date is in the summer.

In November 2020, Markle opened up about the miscarriage she suffered in a heartbreaking personal essay for The New York Times. The duchess detailed the painful incident, which occurred last summer, and how she and Prince Harry grieved over the loss.

"After changing his diaper, I felt a sharp cramp. I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right," she wrote. "I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second."

The former "Suits" star received criticism at the time for sharing what many considered a personal experience. However, an unnamed source told People that she chose to talk about it because she wanted to encourage compassion and further conversation about pregnancy loss.

In her op-ed, Markle wrote, "Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few." She noted that 10 to 20 of 100 women will have suffered from miscarriage, but "despite the staggering commonality of this pain, the conversation remains taboo, riddled with (unwarranted) shame, and perpetuating a cycle of solitary mourning."

Meanwhile, royal commentator Annabelle Sanderson said in an interview with Sky News over the weekend that it is "probably wise" for Prince Harry to attend his grandfather's funeral sans Markle.

She said she hopes the Duke of Sussex would take this as an opportunity to mend any rifts with his family that may have been worsened by their revelations and the timing of their CBS interview with Winfrey.

The ceremonial royal funeral will be held at St George's Chapel, on the grounds of Windsor Castle, on Saturday. The event will be televised.